My dog stopped pushing after 4 pups. When should I call the vet?

Hello. As long as she is not actively pushing / straining & seems content to care for her new family, she may just need to rest for several hours. It is also not unusual for there to be a 24 hour gap between starting labor & delivering the last puppy. I will tell you that sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference between an involuting uterus ( one that is shrinking down ) & the perception that there may be still some puppies. The uterus can be quite "lumpy" at this early stage. If she remains comfortable & there is no excessive drainage ( there will be the normal greenish discharge called lochia ), then I would not be too concerned. But if you are still concerned in 3-4 hours, or she starts pushing with no deliveries after 30 minutes, do see your veterinarian for further evaluation. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I typically recommend heading to the vet if it has been more than four hours between puppies. While it can be perfectly normal to take long breaks in between puppies it’s best to have a vet check for signs of fetal distress if it has been more than four hours, especially since one puppy was already still born. Good luck to Coffee!

Occasionally, there can be 2-4 hours between puppies. If she is actively straining for an hour or more without producing a pup then she should be examined by your veterinarian right away. An exam and abdominal x-rays would be recommended in this situation anyway to confirm the presence or absence of additional pups inside Dhorina.

You should look for signs compatible with more contractions and up to 4 hours in between puppies could be still fine. If more than that, you should ideally seek veterinary attention as soon as possible as c-section might be needed. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

That depends....If she is in labor and puppies are already born then hopefully she can give birth to the last puppies as well. Usually there should be 30-45 minutes between puppies. If she stopped having contractions before all were born, or if she has been trying to give birth to a puppy but it appears that is cannot come easily, ie it may block the birth canal, then I suggest you take mama and puppies to a vet for assistance. If it looks like she does not have any problems, you do not need to involve a vet, and just let her have her babies until she is done.

When a dog is having active contractions, and it's been more than four hours since the last puppy came and you believe there are more, this is a medical emergency, and Daisy has to see a vet right away. This is not normal, and there could be a puppy stuck in her birth canal. Please take her into a vet now, she needs immediate medical attention.

It is normal for dogs to have puppies between 30 and 45 minutes apart. If your pet is not straining or does not seem to be in pain, then this is less of a worry, however, dogs tend to hide their pain much better than humans. If you know that your dog had more than one puppy, then I would take her to a vet and make sure that there aren't complications. A breached puppy can cause harm to the mother and be life threatening if not addressed.